Modern gaming owes a lot to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Every now and then a new game turns up to try and repay some of that debt, mixing the classic top-down, dungeon exploring template with some more up-to-date twists.

My Little Hero is the latest attempt to recapture the hacking and slashing majesty of the Nintendo classic, and while it's a little rough around the edges it's endearing and enjoyable enough to melt the heart of even the fiercest cynic.

Cardboard knight

You play a little boy whose best friend, a cuddly toy by the name of Pinky, has been stolen by the dread boogeyman. Rather than accepting this supernatural skulduggery, you strap on your cardboard helmet, grab your cardboard sword, and venture into the worlds that lie inside your wardrobe.

The game is made up of four stages, each with a boss battle at the end, and each split into nicely sized levels. You'll battle your way through spooky forests, squelchy swamps, and dusty deserts before finally reaching the lair of the cuddly toy stealing arch fiend.

You control your hero with a decent on-screen stick and a couple of buttons. Combat is essentially button-mashing, with the occasional bit of running away, and while it's not the most polished of systems it still works pretty well.

A strong link

Defeated enemies drop buttons, which you can spend at candy machines to replenish the health you've lost, and hacking around in long grass often reveals hidden treasures. There are some simple puzzles to solve, and collectible toys to find.

From the obligatory sword you have at the start of the game, your arsenal expands to a torch, a slingshot, an umbrella, and a rubber ring, all of which have their uses when it comes to getting through the haunted expanses you'll find yourself in.

My Little Hero is a sweet, well-built adventure with some neat visual ideas. It's sometimes a bit repetitive, and it's not the most original game you'll play this year, but those are small prices to pay for such a likeable descendent of one of the best games ever made.